NCAA Compliance

Important Compliance Information for Cowboy Joe Club Members

As a member of the Cowboy Joe Club, you are also considered to be a “booster” of UW Athletics. Maintaining the high standards of integrity with which all UW Athletics programs operate is of the utmost importance; therefore, please ask the Athletics Compliance staff if you have any questions concerning interactions with our student-athletes and/or our sport programs.

What is "Extra Benefit" and Why Do I need to know this term?

An extra benefit is anything that is provided to a student-athlete, their family or friends by an institutional staff member or a booster that is not available to the general student body or general public under the same terms. Providing UW student-athletes, their families or friends with anything considered an extra benefit jeopardizes their eligibility to represent UW in competition

Recent NCAA Violations Involving Boosters

A NCAA Member institution is alleged to have provided the stepfather of a student-athlete with $800 and 12 nights of lodging valued at $2,500. Additionally, that same student-athlete allegedly received loaner vehicles and a $3,000 loan. Had this student-athlete not decided to forgo his last remaining year of eligibility in order to enter the NFL Draft, he very likely would have been ruled permanently ineligible based on the seriousness of the violations.

At another institution, a booster impermissibly provided nearly $3,500 in extra benefits to a football student-athlete, including an impermissible loan, free use of an automobile, meals and other extra benefits. This violation contributed to the institution’s first ever Level I infractions case in their time as a NCAA member institution.

An extra benefit is anything that is provided to a student-athlete or a student-athlete’s family and friends by an institutional staff member or a booster that is not available to the general student body or general public under the same terms. Providing anything considered an extra benefit to one of our student-athletes or their family/friends jeopardizes their eligibility to compete for UW. The following are some common examples of extra benefits:

Provide cash, loans, or co-sign a loan on behalf of a student-athlete;

Provide transportation or use of automobile

Provide use of telephone or credit card for personal reasons without charge

Boosters should not be involved in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. A prospective student-athlete is anyone who has started classes for the ninth grade regardless of whether they participate in high school sports(i.e., a 9th grader who is member of the high school debate team is considered a prospective student-athlete). Boosters should not attempt to contact a prospect or influence his/her decision to attend UW. Remember that only members of the coaching staff may be involved in the recruiting process.

Boosters may employ student-athletes provided they make arrangements through the Athletic Department. The student-athlete hired will be required to complete the Employment Information Form which the employer will need to sign before employment begins.

A booster may have in-person, telephone, or email contact with currently enrolled student-athletes.

A student-athlete or the entire team may be invited to the home of a booster for an occasional meal with prior approval from the Compliance Office. Please note a booster may not entertain student-athletes at a restaurant or club.

In light of recent well-publicized NCAA investigations across the country involving agents providing impermissible benefits to student-athletes and their families and friends, we felt it is essential to provide guidance on this topic.• Student-athletes become ineligible if they (or their relatives and friends) accept benefits from an agent or an associate of an agent;

Boosters should refrain from having any involvement in the agent selection process for student-athletes; this includes facilitating an introductory meeting between an agent and a student-athlete;

The University and Athletics Department have established procedures to help its student-athletes through the agent evaluation/selection process.